Sunday, January 31, 2010
BMW’s Green Sports Cars 2010
“It’s the sports car of the future, the way BMW imagines it.” That’s how Adrian van Hooydonk, director of BMW’s group design, describes the “BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics” two-door concept vehicle to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show. Think of it as a showcase of the many fuel-efficient technologies that BMW has in various stages of development. Some of the technologies already appear in production vehicles, while the feasibility of rolling out other systems stretch the future to the point of never.
BMW’s overarching goal was to combine breath-taking speed and groundbreaking efficiency. In the BMW Vision, that boils down to 4.8-second 0-to-60 miles per hour acceleration and 63 mile to the gallon.
First, BMW engineers use the rear-axle to combine a turbo-charged small diesel engine and the mildest forms of hybrid technology. That kind of combo comes standard in BMW 1-series cars in Europe. The Vision's setup is a little more similar to the BMW 320d, also to debut in Frankfurt, which uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel to deliver 162 horsepower, while promising more than 57 miles to the gallon. The BMW Vision takes it a step further by downsizing the engine to a 1.5-liter three-cylinder diesel engine mated with the more robust hybrid system found in the pricey BMW ActiveHybrid7, expected in the US early next year.
Not satisfied with 162 horsepower, BMW adds a second motor to drive the front wheels exclusively by electricity. When both motors and the diesel engine are called into service, the overall system can put out 356 horsepower. The BMW Vision is lightweight and aerodynamic. The design features an aluminum chassis and suspension, and an outer skin made mostly of polycarbonate glass. The car’s slippery design boasts a drag coefficient of 0.22—beating out the Toyota Prius’s 0.25.
To mitigate the fuel efficiency penalty paid for power, the BMW Vision utilizes plug-in hybrid technology. This is where the Vision becomes more of a fantasy. The combination of diesel and hybrid technologies is widely viewed as cost prohibitive. Adding enough battery power to allow the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics to travel for 30 miles of all-electric drive, as BMW is promising, would send costs through the roof.
BMW also indicates that the Vision only needs a 187-pound 10.8 kWh battery to achieve the 30-mile all-electric goal. To pull that off, the Vision, according to BMW, will discharge the battery pack's capacity by 80 percent, which is likely to significantly reduce the longevity of the battery. (The Chevy Volt will use about 50 percent of its capacity to help ensure a lifetime of use.)
Ferrari's latest the 458 has 570bhp and goes faster 2010
There are two things that Italy does better than anyone else: outrageous politicians and sports cars.
And while old Silvio has been up to his tricks, Ferrari has been busy building a fabulous new mid-engined sports car to replace the F430, itself a bit of a stunner.
The new car is called the 458 Italia. From the first bit of the name we can deduce that it's powered by a 4.5-litre eight-cylinder engine.
The new engine is direct-injection and has a whopping 570bhp at a screaming 9,000rpm.
It's more powerful than the F430 engine yet it is cleaner and more economical, not that economy is going to bother an owner that much.
What is important is driving slowly past nightclubs and attracting attention by blipping the throttle.
Many car companies claim to learn lots from racing and include the lessons in their road cars. Often it's just marketing talk but with Ferrari it's believable.
The Italia is full of hi-tech gizmos. For starters it has a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox that changes gear faster than a blink, an electronically controlled differential and something called F1-Trac - a traction-control system that maximises acceleration out of corners without the risk of you flying off into a field.
The major controls are mounted on the steering wheel and by major we don't mean the stereo controls. Ferrari gives you a host of buttons to press that change the traction-control settings, throttle response and lots more. Just like on Raikkonen's F1 Ferrari racer.
As with the F430 the Italia's body and chassis is all aluminium, put together using aerospace technology including hi-tech glues. The Italia's dry weight is 1,380kg (a bit naughty that, as most manufacturers weigh their cars with oil and water in them).
A bloke called Michael Schumacher has played an active part in developing Ferrari's new sports car including helping to design the car's racer-like instruments.
Ferrari's latest the 458 has 570bhp and goes faster 2010
There are two things that Italy does better than anyone else: outrageous politicians and sports cars.
And while old Silvio has been up to his tricks, Ferrari has been busy building a fabulous new mid-engined sports car to replace the F430, itself a bit of a stunner.
The new car is called the 458 Italia. From the first bit of the name we can deduce that it's powered by a 4.5-litre eight-cylinder engine.
The new engine is direct-injection and has a whopping 570bhp at a screaming 9,000rpm.
It's more powerful than the F430 engine yet it is cleaner and more economical, not that economy is going to bother an owner that much.
What is important is driving slowly past nightclubs and attracting attention by blipping the throttle.
Many car companies claim to learn lots from racing and include the lessons in their road cars. Often it's just marketing talk but with Ferrari it's believable.
The Italia is full of hi-tech gizmos. For starters it has a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox that changes gear faster than a blink, an electronically controlled differential and something called F1-Trac - a traction-control system that maximises acceleration out of corners without the risk of you flying off into a field.
The major controls are mounted on the steering wheel and by major we don't mean the stereo controls. Ferrari gives you a host of buttons to press that change the traction-control settings, throttle response and lots more. Just like on Raikkonen's F1 Ferrari racer.
As with the F430 the Italia's body and chassis is all aluminium, put together using aerospace technology including hi-tech glues. The Italia's dry weight is 1,380kg (a bit naughty that, as most manufacturers weigh their cars with oil and water in them).
A bloke called Michael Schumacher has played an active part in developing Ferrari's new sports car including helping to design the car's racer-like instruments.
Watching Avatar in 3D
Last Weekend, I paid RM18.50 for a ticket at GSC One-Utama to watch Avatar with Soon Yang and Daphne.
As I've never paid so much for a movie ticket in my entire life, it better be good.
Not just good. LIKE DAMN GOOD!!
Its not surprising to me that I went ahead to watch the movie at such a price because I mean, a movie does not just gross US1 Billion without actually being good. I mean DAMN GOOD!!
Some say that you should watch Avatar in 2D first then go to 3D, but then, I mean seriously if i really wanted to watch it in 2D, there's always the DVD to depend on. I know in my heart that i'll never get another opportunity to watch it in 3D. My TV can't do 3D so...I watched it...Its a 2 and half hour movie..Enjoyed every bit of it..
Also another point to add is that I've always had the misconception of watching 3d behind a glass with blue and red film just like this..
But what you actually get is like something that looks like real glasses.
The only problem of watching it in 3d is that if you are already wearing glasses like I do (not for 3d purposes of course), it may be a bit difficult to wear another glass (3d glass) on top of it (nuff said!) which is annoying I suppose.
All I can say is..
Its really good!!A good mixture of romance, action, and science.You know its a good movie when you do not want to get out of the movie to take a piss or waiting for the movie to end and hoping for more...I think you get what I mean...So for all you dvd goers out there, Trust me, if you're reading this, watch in in the cinema..Its worthwhile..
Here's a glimpse of it...
2010 Bugatti Veyron
Endowed with W16 engine-16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders fed by four turbochargers, a dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled manual transmission, the Veyron has a length is 4462 mm (175.8 in) a wide of 1998 mm (78.7 in) and hight of 1206 mm (47.5 in). Counting a sum of 10 radiators, for the engine cooling system, for transmission oil, a heat exchanger for the air to liquid intercoolers, for engine oil etc., the car has a power to weight ratio of 529 bhp/tonne.
If we talk about performance we are dazzled by this supercars power to reach 200 and 300 km/h (124 and 186 mph) in 7.3 and respectively 16.7 seconds, wining for herself the name of the quickest-accelerating production car in history.
If we count the fact that the top speed of Bugatti Veyron is 253.2 miles per hour (407.5 km/h), a speed limited electronically to prevent tire damage (it can run even faster) we can understand why this spectacular car must consume 40.4 L/100 km (4.82 mpg) when it`s running at top speed and in city driving 24.1 L/100 km.
A model drove by superstars like Tom Cruise, couldn`t name itself cheap, rising the Bugatti Veyron at least of $1,700,000, a price that measures it`s quality. Many new designs has been released since 2006, the color might have changed, but the speed and power remain the same.
Bugatti Veyron Review
Happy New Year!
today is THAT DAY!!
Because today, we celebrate Federal Territory Day!! Here's how this day works. If you're working in KL that is your office is literally in KL as long as your address does state 'Kuala Lumpur', you get that DAY OFF!!
But if you're office address says something else like 'Selangor', than sorry pal, just forget about this day altogether.
Anyway, here's my latest update since the start of the year and i'm gonna talk about what I did on New Years Eve.
I told myself that i'm gonna do this post today and I'm GONNA DO IT!!I know its been a month back but helll..i'm still gonna do it!!
This year I started the New Year again with some of my closest friends back in Penang. Every year, we would celebrate New Years at home because of the idea that celebrating up at happening spots like Upper Penang Road or Esplanade or some formal events would always turnout to be horrendous and at the end never turning out to be fun.
Some say that one of the problems would be finding a car park and even if you do find one, it would be so crazily overpriced that it would create an upset in your tummy not to say, a hole in your pocket to begin with.
Some also say that even if you do find yourself in a nightclub, it would be so packed with people that is nothing different to squeezing yourself in say a box to be shipped into another country. It would give you a taste of how exotic animals are illegally transported to another country.
Some also say that even drinks would be over priced on that day and when I mean over priced I don't mean like by a few cents or something but probably by the double figures. Its like buying a proton at the price of a Bentley or so to speak..
Some also say that with all the crazy revellers around, you would never know whether your car is safe enough to defend itself when its been targeted for extra decorations by these revellers.
Anyway, a few of us decided that celebrating at home has always been a better way to welcome the New Year.
Here are some pictures.
Picture with the guys...At the heat of the moment hearing the "1 Malaysia Song", we all were taking pictures so fast that Tiam did not even have a chance to swap his cake for a glass of champagne to take pictures with.
Picture of the girls that came...
Last but not least, if there was anyone you guys should thank, it would be Tiam! He kind of pushed me to hold a party, so...yeah..THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!!!HAHA...Hope you enjoyed it...
I guess thats all I have to share in pictures. Thank you guys for coming!Its always been great to have you guys around to celebrate with. Would like to take this opportunity to wish you all on my blog and all my dear existing readers,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Can't wait to see how we gonna do it in 2010? I hope to be updating this blog more often..wait a minute...
I SAY IT EVERY YEAR!!!HAHA
Alfa Romeo Mito GTA
Visit the Geneva Motor Show report on the Which?
www.which.co.uk/reviews-ns/geneva-motor-show-2009/index.jsp